AURALiC Cranks Up Headphone Performance with Taurus MKII Amplifier

The new amp can deliver big sound from small packages, up to 1,000 to 4,500 milliwatts into various loads.

A lot of high-end companies have been releasing headphone products lately. However, even the good headphones still can’t match the performance of a set of awesome speakers. AURALiC Limited wants to give those headphones a little boost with its new Taurus MKII Balanced Headphone Amplifier.

AURALiC named the Taurus MKII after the constellation, and included plenty of dreamy features to match. First of all, it has a four-way output structure, so users can choose between standard or balanced driving modes by simply pressing a button on the front panel. Each of those modes are compatible with the 6.35mm jack, as well as headphones with 4-pin balanced connections.

It’s also busting with patented technologies, including the ORFEO Class-A output module. This little perk enables the MKII to deliver big performance — up to 1,000 to 4,500 milliwatts into various loads.

Other features include an ultra-low-noise input buffer and EMI shielding to reduce noise from that input buffer to 0.8uV. The Taurus MKII also offers plenty of connection options on the front and the back. The front panel has 6.35mm stereo and 4-pin balanced headphone jacks, as well as a power button, an LED indicator, input and mode control buttons, and a volume control. Around the back, there are RCA and XLR analog inputs, RCA and XLR pre-amp outputs, and a power cord socket.

AURALiC says that the Taurus MKII pairs up nicely with the company’s VEGA Digital Audio Processor, which can support high-res music formats, including DSD (Direct Stream Digital), Double Rate DSD and DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition).

AURALiC was just showing the Taurus MKII Balanced Headphone Amplifier at the Thailand Audio/Video Show, but it should be making its way to the U.S. very soon. Expect the the product to be available through AURALiC and authorized dealers, with an MSRP of $1,899.